Blessed Lotus LLC, an innovative, fashion forward retail company created to support impoverished areas of the world, is making its formal public debut at this year’s 30th anniversary of the Southern Women’s Show in Charlotte.

Sept. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- September 14, 2012 – Charlotte, NC – Blessed Lotus LLC, an innovative, fashion forward retail company created to support impoverished areas of the world, is making its formal public debut at this year’s 30th anniversary of the Southern Women’s Show in Charlotte.

DeAnne Wingate, Founder of Blessed Lotus remarked, “The Southern Women’s Show provides women an opportunity to learn how to balance their daily life and have time to focus on the things that really matter. It is a synergistic opportunity. Women intrinsically want to make a difference and when we create personal space, we are able to look beyond ourselves.”

Blessed Lotus, a local Charlotte company, offers customers throughout North America handmade tunics and pashminas from India. 100 percent of its retail profits from Blessed Lotus bring community education and support to slums worldwide through its nonprofit sister company, Rippled Purpose LLC.

Blessed Lotus and Rippled Purpose were created by De Anne Wingate, former Regional Vice President of Univision Interactive Media. Wingate was inspired after she spent a month teaching in a preschool in the slums of Goa, India and experienced first-hand the need for educating impoverished children.

“UNICEF reported in June of this year that in India, 13 million children are out of school and 12.7 million are involved in child labor”, said Wingate.

When she returned to America, Wingate brought back with her the vibrant tunics and pashminas of the area for her personal wardrobe. Whenever she wore them, people asked where she had gotten them and how they could buy them. Knowing they weren’t available locally, Wingate saw and seized the opportunity to continue supporting the humanitarian work she had been assisted with in India by importing the tunics and pashminas to sell in North America and directing all retail profits toward the mission of Rippled Purpose.

The funds will support schools and children in slums by expanding the size of schools, building new schools, and providing nourishment, medical and dental aid, and educational scholarships. In addition, a portion of the tunics are now being handmade by a group of at-risk Indian women. Some of these women were rescued from the sex slave trade, and are HIV positive, while others are under threat of being trafficked. They are paid for each tunic completed and in the process, their dignity is restored in a compassionate work environment. As Blessed Lotus ramps up its sales, the goal is for all the tunics sold to eventually be made by this group of women, and others like it, to further benefit their communities.

Speaking at a private Trunk Show near Tampa, FL recently, DeAnne Wingate explained to those in attendance, “Charity is not the answer. We must create self-sufficiency. Education for children living in poverty is their foundation of hope to rise above.”

Tunics are available for purchase online or through trunk shows coming to cities across the country. For more information about Blessed Lotus and Rippled Purpose, or to find a trunk show, visit blessedlotus.com.

About Blessed LotusBlessed Lotus is a retailer of fine, fashion forward tunics and pashminas. Profits from sales fund outreach and education efforts in slums around the world. 100% of the retail profits from Blessed Lotus are designated to its sister company, a non-profit, Rippled Purpose. Blessed Lotus can be reached on the web at http://blessedlotus.com, http://facebook.com/blessedlotus, or @Blessed_Lotus on Twitter.

About Rippled PurposeFormed in 2012, Rippled Purpose is a nonprofit dedicated to providing hope to children living in slums around the world through education and love – which extends to their nourishment, medical & dental care, and college aid. The core mission of Rippled Purpose is to place or expand schools in slums around the world. All funding is utilized for programs designed to create self-sufficiency within the community. Giving children opportunities to rise above oppression and poverty are the fundamental principles driving Rippled Purpose.

About founder De Anne WingateA former Regional Vice President at Univision Interactive Media, Wingate was drawn to the opportunity to use her skills to improve the world’s poor. After multiple trips abroad, Wingate saw a need for educating impoverished children. Her experiences with extreme poverty and human trafficking led her to believe that access to education from a young age is mission critical for fighting poverty.